The City of Atchison’s E-Community Program is pleased to announce a new loan to the Willow Boutique, a startup clothing retailer in downtown Atchison.

The $54,000 in loan proceeds will help finance the acquisition and renovation of the property located at 115 N 5th Street, as well as the purchase of inventory for the store. The Willow Boutique is owned by Brian and Tracy Kane of Atchison, Kansas. Additional financing for the project was provided by Exchange Bank.

Since January of 2017, the Atchison E-Community Program has been offering loans for small business startups, expansions, and acquisitions. Everyday businesses like laundromats, restaurants, and entertainment enterprises can use this locally controlled, revolving loan fund as gap financing to make their small business dreams come true.

The funding for the E-Community Program is created through the sale of entrepreneurship tax credits, which are allocated to NetWork Kansas by the Kansas State Legislature.

The Willow Boutique is the sixteenth E-community loan processed by the City of Atchison since January of 2017. Those sixteen loans total over $650,000 in gap financing to support small business development in the Atchison community.

To learn more about the E-Community Program, contact Justin Pregont with the City of Atchison at justinp@cityofatchison.com or 913-367-5506.